Balanced hinged top for cabinets and other receptacles.



T. C. LINN, Jn'. & J. P-. BUTT, JR. BALANCED mean warm: CABINETS AND OTHER RECEPTACLES.

I APPLICATION FILED APR. i8. I917.

, a aimhand for performing these acts. the devices for holding cabinet tops 111 a i r nib THOMAS C. LINN, JR., OF SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA, AND JOHN P. BUTT, JR., OF GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

BALANCED ninenn Tor non cABrnnTs AND OTHER nEcErTAcLEs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 18, 1917. Serial No. 162,901.

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that we, Tnoluas C. Linn, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Salisbury, in the county of Rowanand State of North Carolina, and JOHN P. BUTT, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gettysburg, in thecounty oi Adams and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Balanced Hinged Tops for Cabinets and other Receptacles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact f description.

It is sometimes desirable to provide cabinets andother receptacles with a hinged or pivoted top which will remain fully open or closed or in any intermediate position without the aid of a manually operated prop. This is especially desirable in connection with graphophone or phonograph cabinet tops, where it is necessary to have the top remain in a raised position forthe changing of records and needles, etc, particularly where the operator desires to use only one Most of raised position with which weare familiar,

comprise aprop, hinged to the top, and hav-' ing a sletted and notched free end which cooperates with a stop or catch on some part ofthe cabinetbody, and in orderto lower the top when such a propis used, it is necessary to release the prop with one hand and lower the'top with the other. This is some times inconvenient, because of one hand being occupied, as is often the case, with the manipulation of a graphophone, in holding the record which has ust been removed from the machine. Y

Theobject of the invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, and to provide cabinet and other receptacle tops with adeviee Whichwill support the top in anyposition without the use of a prop, such as referred to.

The invention consists in a hinged top for cabinets and other receptacles, provided with a weight-controlled lever mechanism so designed as to be capable of balancing the weight ofthe top to support it in ,fully open or closed position, or in any intermediate open position, or, when suitably adjusted, to cause the top to ,be automatically opened upon the release of a suitable detent, all as we will proceedfnow to explain and finally the body, as

In the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a cabinet, such as used to contain a graphophone or phonograph, showing the top-operating device of the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation showing the weight adjusting means; Fig. 3 is an end view of the weight showing its roller mounting on the Patented May 211, 1918.

balance arm, and Fig. 4c is an end view of v; the balance arm showing its guide roller and track, all on a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the mechanism whereby the top may be antomatically raised.

1 is the upper portion 01 the body of :a cabinet Or other receptacle, and :2 is the top, hinged in any usual or approved manner to Pivoted to the top at 4 is a lifting rod 5,

provided with a slot 6, which cooperates with a pivot 7 fixed to the body 1. The

lower end of. the rod 5 is connected at 8 by a link 9 with a weight 10 mounted to travel upon abalance arm ll, which is pivoted at 12 to the body, and is provided with an eX- tension13 having a slot 14 by which fit-is operatively connected at 15 by a link 16 with the rod 5, as at 17. A link 18 vpivoted at 7 and connected at 15 with link 16compen sates by means of slot 1 1 andlink 16101 the force exerted by weight 10 as the .toprises.

The outer end of the-balance arm 11 is provided with a roller 19 which cooperates with a guide or track 20 suitablysecured to the body 1 to relieve the pivot 12 of lateral strain.-

The weight 10 shouldbe mounted to, travel treelyupon thearm 1-1, and one means for so mounting it shown in Fig. ,3, wherein rollers 21 are provided on the Weight'to contact with said arm, and the weight is held in operative relation to the arm by means of a plate22 attached to the weight by cap screws 23 which also acts as axes for,

the rollers 21.

other, and the two parts are connected by means of a collar 24 provided with a suitable set-screw 25; but it is obvious that other means may be used for shortening or lengthening the. link 9.

The operation of the device is as follows The weight 10 is adjusted by means of link 9, to a position on arm 11 at which it exactly balances the weight of the top 2. As the top is raised, the rod 5 turns upon its pivot 7, while sliding upward by means of slot 6, and through link 9 moves weight 10 outwardly upon arm 11 in a given ratio and at the same time link 16 is caused to swing out in a slot 14 by the pivotal action of link 18 in a given ratio, and the combination of the two ratios so diminishes the force exerted by the weight 10 that the weight is always in balance with the weight of the top and will hold the top in either closed position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, or in'extreme open position as shown in dotted lines, or in any intermediate open position desired.

In some cases it might be desirable to have the top rise automatically upon releasing a spring catch or other detent,'and Fig. 5 shows a modification of the invention by which this result may be accomplished. In this form, the rod 5 is used as before, but the connection 26 of link 9 is raised'to a point farther away from its lower end. This decreases the travel of weight 10 on arm 11. Also, link 16 is connected directly and fixedly with arm 11 at 27 and link 18 is dispensed with. With this arrangement, it will be seen that when the button 28 is pressed,it releases spring catch 29 from detent'BO and allows weight 10 to exert its force througharm 11, link 16 and rod 5'to raise thetop.

' Variations in details of construction and arrangement of parts are within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. i

What we claim is I '1. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said topof a lifting rod pivoted intermediate its ends and connected with said top, a balance arm, and means connecting said rod and arm whereby "sard'arm is always in balance with said top.

2,111 a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a lifting rod, a pivoted arm, a counterbalance weight slidably mounted on said arm, and -means connecting said rod, arm and weight, whereby said weight always balances said top. T

3. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a lifting rod pivoted thereto and having a sliding connection with said receptacle, a PIVOtGCl arm carrying a traveling Weight, and links connecting said rod, arm and weight, whereby said top is always balanced.

4-. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a slotted lifting rod having a sliding and pivotal connection with said receptacle, an arm pivoted on said receptacle and carrying a traveling weight, and links connecting said rod and weight and said rod and arm, whereby said weight will balance said top in all positions.

5. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a lifting rod adapted to have a limited sliding movement on a pivot on said receptacle, an arm pivoted to said receptacle and ha ing a slotted portion, a weight mounted to travel on said arm, and means whereby said weight and top are balanced, comprising an adjustable link connecting said rod and weight, a link connecting said rod and arm, and means for causing said latter link to travel in the slotted portion of said arm as the top is moved.

6. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a slotted lifting rod having a sliding and pivotal connection with said receptacle and connected with said top, a slotted arm pivoted on said receptacle and carrying a traveling weight, a link connecting said rod and arm, a link connecting said rod and weight, means to cause said arm connecting link to move away from the pivot of said arm when the top is raised, and means on said weight connecting link for adjusting said weight with relation to the pivot of said arm.

v7. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a slotted lifting rod having a sliding and pivotal connection with said receptacle, an arm pivoted on said receptacle and carrying a traveling weight, links connecting said rod and weight and said rod and arm, whereby said weight will'balance said top in all positions, and a guide for said arm.

8. In a balanced hinged top for receptacles, the combination with said top of a slotted lifting rod having a sliding and pivotal connection with said receptacle, an arm pivoted on said receptacle and carrying a traveling weight, links connecting said rod and weight and said rod and arm, whereby said weight will balance said top in all positions, and a roller on said arm to cooperate with a guide on said receptacle.

9. In combination, a hinged top, a lifting rod pivoted intermediate its ends and connected with said top, a balance arm, and means connecting said rod and arm.

10. In combination, a hinged top, a lifting rod, a pivoted weighted arm, and means connecting said rod and arm on opposite sides of the pivot of said arm.

11. In combination, a hinged top, a lifting 130 rod, an arm having a weight adapted to travel thereon, means connecting said rod and arm, and means connecting said rod and weight.

12. In combination, a hinged top, a lifting rod, an arm having a weight mounted to travel thereon, a link connecting said rod and arm, and an adjustable link connecting said rod and weight.

13. The combination with a hinged top, of a lifting rod pivoted thereto and hanging therefrom, a fixed pivot with which said rod has a slotted connection, an arm ar ranged crosswise of the lifting rod and pivoted nearer one end than the other, a link connecting the shorter end of the arm with the lower end of the rod, a weight slidably mounted on the longer end of the arm, and a link connecting said Weight and the lower portion of the rod.

14. The combination with a hinged top,

of a lifting rod pivoted thereto and hang ing therefrom, a fixed pivot with which said rod has a slotted connection, an arm arranged crosswise of the lifting rod and pivoted nearer one end than the other and provided with a longitudinal slot in its shorter end, a link pivoted to the lifting rod pivot, alink pivoted to the lower end of the lifting rod, means connecting said links in the slotted end of the arm, a sliding weight on the longer end of the arm, and a link connecting said weight and lifting rod.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 17 day of April A. D.

T. C. LINN, JR. JOHN P. BUTT, JR. Witnesses:

LENSIN CHAMBERS, Jr., F. S. BUOKLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

